Department Chief Mitchel Harris, MD, Receives Physician’s Achievement Award from the Arthritis Foundation
Mitchel "Mitch" Harris, MD, recently received the 2023 Marian Ropes Award from the Arthritis Foundation.
About Mitchel Harris, MD
With more than 25 years of experience in academic orthopaedic surgery, Mitchel B. Harris, MD, has been named chief of the Department of Orthopaedics at Massachusetts General Hospital, effective October 1, 2017. Previously, Dr. Harris served as the chief of the Orthopaedic Trauma Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). In addition to his leadership role in trauma, he spent 14 years serving as an active member of the Orthopaedic Spine Service at BWH and initiated a weekly multidisciplinary spinal oncology meeting.
After earning his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1984, Dr. Harris completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in 1989. He then went to the University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Science Center, for his fellowship in Orthopaedic Spine and Trauma in 1990, followed by a fellowship in Orthopaedic Spine and Trauma Surgery at Queen's Medical Centre in the United Kingdom in 1994.
Dr. Harris is a widely respected and beloved teacher. He received the coveted Golden Apple Award, presented to the Harvard Orthopaedic faculty member identified by the residents as the teacher/mentor of the year. He also has received numerous faculty teaching awards in his previous academic positions.
Among his many accolades, Dr. Harris received the BWH Hippocrates Society Humanitarian Award and both held the chair position and served as a mentor for the AAOS’s Leadership Fellows Committee. He is the inaugural recipient of the Stepping Strong Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery while serving as the founding director of the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation. Dr. Harris chaired a Department of Defense peer-reviewed Orthopaedic research program, and has authored or co-authored more than 150 peer-reviewed academic publications.
Clinical Interests:
- Arthritis
- Complications of trauma
- Disaster medicine
- Femur and tibia fractures
- Herniated disc
- Hip fractures
- Minimally invasive plating techniques
- Open fracture management
- Osteomyelitis
- Polytrauma
- Spinal stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Trauma-related infections
Treats:
- Adult
Locations
Orthopaedic Trauma Service
55 Fruit Street
Yawkey Building for Outpatient Care
Suite 3C
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-9111
Fax: 617-726-8214
Medical Education
- MD, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago
- Residency, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
- Fellowship, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Science Center
American Board Certifications
- Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Cigna
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Coventry
- Fallon Health
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Humana
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan
- MassHealth
- Medicaid ME
- Medicaid NH
- Medicaid RI
- Medicaid VT
- Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Multiplan
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- United Health Care
- Wellpoint
- WellSense
- WellSense NH
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Investigative Interests:
- Outcomes of the Management of Spinal Disorders: Operative and Nonoperative
- Fracture Management and Outcomes
- Outcomes of Geriatric Spinal Fracture Management
- Osteomyelitis at the Cellular Level
- Stem Cell Augmentation of Fracture Healing
Publications
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Select Publications:
- Leonard DA, Schoenfeld AJ, Harris MB, Bono CM. The prognostic value of preoperative participation in activities of daily living on postoperative outcomes following lumbar discectomy. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2017 Apr; 155:40-44.
- Gitajn IL, Heng M, Weaver MJ, Casemyr N, May C, Vrahas MS, Harris MB. Mortality Following Surgical Management of Vancouver B Periprosthetic Fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2017 Jan; 31(1):9-14.
- Paulino Pereira NR, Langerhuizen DW, Janssen SJ, Hornicek FJ, Ferrone ML, Harris MB, Schwab JH. Are perioperative allogeneic blood transfusions associated with 90-days infection after operative treatment for bone metastases? J Surg Oncol. 2016 Dec; 114(8):997-1003.
- Bono CM, Leonard DA, Cha TD, Schwab JH, Wood KB, Harris MB, Schoenfeld AJ. The effect of short (2-weeks) versus long (6-weeks) post-operative restrictions following lumbar discectomy: a prospective randomized control trial. Eur Spine J. 2017 Mar; 26(3):905-912.
I was in great pain and felt it was addressed immediately Pain control was discussed and I received written instructions
I would like to thank the entire team who are caring for me. I would like to thank the nurses, the doctor and also the secretaries, who warmly greet us when we arrive. They seem content, upbeat, and positive. Thank you to the entire staff. Thank you also to the interpreters. I also want to thank everyone, everyone, the hospital, too, and the ... Read More
He was very thorough, explained things well and I did not feel rushed. I felt a lot of confidence in his evaluation. The office staff and the resident were also very kind and engaged.
Explained everything clearly and demonstrated what was needed. Dr. Harris spent a lot of time with us which I really appreciated. He made sure that we understood what was needed to heal. He really cared!
Dr Harris was generous with his time, and thorough
Great guy, very direct and informative. Speaks with you, not at you about the injury
The Doctor was well informed in his scope of care. I was impressed with his knowledge.
Thorough, straightforward, clear
Dr Harris took a detailed history and listened closely to all responses, did not rush through the appointment, provided a clear assessment of my situation, suggested a thoughtful approach to evaluation and infused our exchange with respect, caring and understated sense of humor.
He was great.